Player to Watch: Defensive tackle James Smith looking for fresh start at Ohio State

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Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Texas.

After defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was selected in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, Ohio State has a tall task in replacing the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.

While there are a number of Buckeyes who are eager to get the first crack at taking over for McDonald, Ryan Day and Matt Patricia turned over every stone in the transfer portal during the offseason.

Enter James Smith from Alabama. The former five-star recruit is looking for a fresh start after failing to live up to expectations with the Crimson Tide. In his three seasons in Tuscaloosa, Smith appeared in 37 games, registering 50 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

Last year as a junior, Smith started 12 games for an Alabama team that went to the College Football Playoff and lost to Indiana in the quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.

One thing Ohio State fans have to love is the way Smith played against Michigan in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl. Not only did Smith have what at the time was a career-high four tackles, two of those were behind the line of scrimmage, including the first sack of his collegiate career.

If Smith is able to replicate that type of performance when the Buckeyes and Wolverines meet in Columbus in late November, he’ll likely get a rousing ovation in what will probably be his final home game at Ohio Stadium.

Following a strong close to his sophomore season, there was high expectations for Smith heading into the 2025 season. Much like the rest of the Alabama squad, he didn’t quite live up to the lofty goals that were set. The two best games for Smith came against Louisiana-Monroe, where he had three tackles for loss.

Then later in the season Smith had a career-high seven tackles and a sack against Tennessee. Of the 15 games Smith appeared in, he was the starter in the 12 of those contests.

With Kayden McDonald now in the NFL, Smith will definitely be a factor when it comes to trying to step in for McDonald. It’s likely Ohio State will employ a bit of a timeshare with Smith and Eddrick Houston at the defensive tackle spot.

With the two splitting snaps, opposing offensive lines will have a tough task on their hands since they’ll not only be going up against two talented defensive linemen, since they are sharing the workload both Smith and Houston will both be fresher later in games.

While Alabama fans weren’t exactly sad to see Smith leave because they felt he underperformed, one thing Smith said about practicing with the Buckeyes was a bit surprising. Smith said “Everything is so much faster at Ohio State.”

After over a decade of dominance by the Crimson Tide, it shows how the program has fallen after the retirement of Nick Saban, as Smith is feeling like he is being challenged by the speed he is seeing from his teammates now.

Hopefully for Smith, working with legendary defensive line coach Larry Johnson will help to unlock some of the talent scouts are waiting to see from the defensive tackle. During spring practices, Johnson said Smith was a “work in progress” but the combination of size, power, and explosiveness Smith possesses is undeniable. If Smith winds up playing up to his potential he will be one of the steals from the transfer portal.

What has helped Smith gain some comfort so far during his time with the Buckeyes is he didn’t come alone. Fellow defensive lineman Qua Russaw also joined Ohio State from Alabama in the transfer portal.

Columbus has become a hotbed for those looking to leave Alabama in recent years. Caleb Downs, Seth McLaughlin, and Julian Sayin all joined Ohio State a couple years ago after the retirement of head coach Nick Saban, and now Smith and Russaw are Buckeyes.

Even though Smith can return in 2027 for his fifth season of college football if he choses to do so, he is hoping to make an impact immediately for Ohio State and raise his draft stock. Buckeye fans would be more than happy to accept just one year of Smith if his contributions on defense help Ohio State win their second national title in three seasons.

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